Rotary engine



Sept. 9, 192-4. 1,507,979

W. I. STAAF ROTARY ENGINE Filed Jan. 26 19 22 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR 1,507,979 I. ST'AAF 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 9, 1924.

ROTARY ENGINE Filed Jan. 26

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INVENTOR W. I. STAAF ROTARY ENGINE Sept. 9, 1924.

Filed Jan. 26, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 j N W K NN P 3 I43 ww 1 I M f MN Q 1 I1 w m I 6 S H WM} MN NQ N :2. nmr. il :2: m E1 m MW mm EH 'IL m mnw INVENTOR Sept. 9, 1924.

w. l. STAAF' ROTARY ENGINE Filed Jan. 26, 922 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR Patented Sept. 9, 1924.

I UNITED STATES- WERNER I. STAAF, or rirrsnunoir mnsrnvnnm.

ao'mnr simian Application filed January 26, ,1922. Serial No.7 531,848.

v State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is an end elevation of one end of the engine with a portion of the air cooling casing removed;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view through the engine on the line II-II of Figure 3; l

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the engine on the lineIII -III of Figure 1, the casing being shown in position thereon;

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the opposite end of the engine from that shown in Figure 1; v

Fi re 5 is a detail sectional view on either the line VV of Figure 1, or the line V-V of Figure 4, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 6 is a sectional view on the VIVI of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is an edge View illustrating one form of packing, and

Figure '8 is a side elevation of the packing shown in Figure 7, the packing being illustrated in operative position.

The present invention relates broadly to rotary engines, and more particularly to rotary engines of the internal combustion type.

This invention has for its object the simplification of rotary engines as usually constructed, the provision of means for positive 1y operating the various parts thereof, whereby smoothness of operation is insured, and means for regulating the supply of the combustible mixture in an engine of this type having improved cooling means.

An engine constructed in accordance w1th the present invention comprises a casing 2 provided with heat radiating members 3 and detachable end plates 4:. The casing is provided with a central circular opening 5 for the reception of a rotor 6, and with side openings 7 and 8, respectively, communicating with the opening 5.

The rotor 6 preferably has a longitudinally extending opening 9 formed therein and provided with air impelling means, such as line blades 10, for drawing acurrent of 7.

air through the rotor during the operation of the engine} Cooperating with. the air intake end of the rotor, is a deflecting casing 11 insuring the passage of the cooling air inothe direction indicated by the arrows,

while cooperating-with the opposite end of I theengineis a casing: 12directin the air around the engine and flanges 3, twill be apparent that the partition 13, prevents the hot air from again passing through the interior of the rotor. a

Mounted within theopening 7 isa rotary valvular abutment 14 cooperating with the combustible mixture inlet 15, show'n" in Figure 1, and having its position illustrated by dotted lines in Figure 2. This valvular abutment is providedpreferably with five radially disposed blades 16, each having a suitable packing 17 cooperating with the circular walls of the opening 7, the blades V 16 being located between disk shaped ends 18. One of theseends l8 is preferably provided with teeth '19 adapted to cooperate with a spring actuated pawl 2Q for the purpose of preventing reverse rotation of the valvular abutment.

Mounted in the opening 8 is a controlling valvular abutment, similar'in construction to that of theabutment 14 and providd with disk shaped ends 21' between which extend blades 22. One oft-the ends 21 may be provided with teeth 23 adapted to cooperate with the pawl 24t'similar in construction and. operation to the pawl 20. Extending longitudinally through this valvular abutment is an oscillating compression receiving cylin-- der 25 having a single longitudinally extending slot 26 adapted at one period during the operation of the engine to receive a supply of combustible mixture, and at another period during the operation of the engine to discharge the same into the explosion and working chamber, as will be more" fully described hereinafter. v 1

The interior of the cylinder 25 communicates through an opening 27 with a compression chamber '28 having arranged therein a piston 29 operating against the resistance of a spring 30. Suitable means 31 is preferably provided for regulating the tension of wthe spring 30. Extending through the wall of the chamber 28 is a port 32 communicating by means of a pipe 33 with the inlet port 15. Due to this construction, it will be apparent that when the piston 29 permits of accurate regulation of the charges of combustible mixture supplied for'each explosion' of the engine.

The valvular abutments in the chambers 7 and 8 are each adapted to be similarly operated and therefore, for the sake of clearness, the operation of but one will be set forth. in detail. The shaft 34 carrying the rotor 6 is provided adjacent the rear end of'the engine, with a gear wheel 35 meshing with an idler 36 carried on a suitable stub shaft-'37. This idler 36 in turn'meshes with a'pinion38 on the shaft 39, which controls the operation of the valvular abutment in the chamber 8, and a similar pinion 40 on the shaft 41, which controls the operation of the valvular abutment in the chamber 7. These shafts are each provided with angularly disposed arms 42 having curved operating faces 43 adapted to engage pins 44 uniformly spaced around. the periphery of disks 45 concentrically mounted with respect to each of the valvular abutments. In the form of my invention illustrated, there are five of the pins 44 on each side of each of the disks 45, the pins on opposite sides being in staggered relation as illustrated. The arms 42are so positioned as to work with the pins on opposite sides of the disks and are arranged in such manner that during the rotation of the shafts 39 and 41 one of'the arms will engage one of the pins and impart substantially one-tenth of a revolution to each of the valvular abutments controlled thereby, whereupon the succeeding arm 42 will engage the next pin on the oppo'site side ofthe disk and impart thereto a further rotation of substantially 36. The pinions 38 and '40 are so timed that the blades 16 and 22 start movingjust prior to the time that one of the abutments :6 on the rotor 6 comes into such a position that it would engage the same.

In order to prevent leakage around the abutments 46, they are'preferably each provided with a suitable packing 47, shown in detail in Figures 7 and 8, having an outward movement limited by pins 48 and urged into operative position by suitable springs 49. A circumferentially extending packing 50 provides a sealed joint between the ends of the rotor and the sides of the casing.

The cylindrical member 25 is adapted to have an oscillatory motion im arted thereto through an arc of substantia y 72, from one extreme position to the other. In Figure 2 the cylinder 25 is shown in such position that the opening 26 is discharging a combustible charge to the rear of one of the abutments preparatory to an explosion stroke. Upon the completion of this discharge operation, the member -25 will be rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 2, to bring the opening 26 into such position that a new charge of gas may be supplied thereto. The mechanism for accomplishing this movement of the member 25 is shown in Figure 4, and comprises'arms 51 and 52 non-rotatably secured to the outer end of the member 25, as shown in detail in Figure 5.

During the rotation of the shaft'39 a projection 53 thereon will engage the roller in the end of the arm 51 and move the same in a counter-clockwise direction through an arc of substantially 36, whereupon the projection 54 will engage the roller on the arm 52 and impart a similar further movement to the member 25. This movement is opposed by a compression spring 55 which tends to restore the member 25 to such position that the opening 26 may receive a fresh charge of gas immediately upon disengagement of the members 54 and 52. This return movement is checked slightly by the dash-pot therethrough. This operation will continue until the next succeeding abutment has passed through between two of the blades 16 of the valvular abutment 14 and across the intake port. Continued operation of the rotor will carry this charge of combustible gas around the casing 2 until the foremost abutment comes to a position substantially in engagement with one'of the blades 22. Thereupon, rotation will be imparted to the blade and the abutment will pass through the valvular abutment between two of the blades. The further rotation of the rotor 6 will cause the rearmost abutment toforce the combustible mixture into the opening 26 against the action of the spring 30. Thereafter, the last mentioned abutment will pass through between two of the'blades 22 into the working chamber 58 of the engine. At this time, that is, with the abutment in substantially the position shown in Figure 2, the member 25 will be rotated to the fullline position shown, thereby permitting the spring 30 to force the supply of combustible mixture through the opemng 26 into the gases will pass therethrough, a complete scavenging action being effected by the following abutment.

By reason of the provision of the port 32 and the passage 33, any excess in the com bustible mixture supplied will be bypassed to the intake and utilized. This prevents any Waste and insures a subtantially uniform charge of combutible mixture for each explosion of the engine. I

It will be obvious that changes may be made in the number of abutments "on the rotor and in the number of blades on each of the valvular abutments, as well as in the operating mechanism therefor, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the broader claims. a

I claim:

1. In a rotary internal combustion engine, a casing having an inlet and exhaust, a rotor constituting both the drivinge element and the gas compressing element, a rotary valvular abutment cooperating with said rotor at one side thereof, a second rotary valvular abutment cooperating with said rotor, means for positively rotating said abutments, and means within one of said abutments cooperating with said intake and serving as a compressed gas receiving chamber, substantially as described.

2. In a rotary internal combustion engine, a casing having an inlet and exhaust, a rotor constituting both the driving element and the gas compressing element, a rotary valvular abutment cooperating with said'rotor at one side thereof, a second rotary valvular abutment cooperating with said rotor, means for positively rotating said abutments, means for. preventing reverse rotation of said abutments, and means within one of said abutments gcooperating with said intake and serving as a compressed gas receiving chamber, substantially as described.

3. In a rotary internal combustion engine, a rotor constituting both the driving element and the gas compressing element, a rotary valvular abutment cooperating with said rotor at one side thereof, a second rotary valvular abutment cooperating with said rotor, means for positively rotating said abutments, and oscillating means within one of said abutments for supplying measured charges foreach explosion, substantially as described.

4. In a rotary internal combustion engine, a rotor constituting both the drivingelement and the gas compressing element, a plurality of rotary valvular abutments cooperating with said rotor, an oscillating compressed gas receiving means within one of said abutments, and a measuring device cooperating with said means, substantially as described.

5. In a rotary internal combustion engine, a rotor constituting both the driving element and the gas compressing element, a plurality of rotary valvular abutments cooperating with said rotor, there being sep- -arate intake and exhaust ports adjacent one.

of said abutments, oscillating means within the other of said abutments for receiving the gas compressed by said rotor, a measuring device cooperatlng with said means, and a bypass between said device and the intake port for returning surplus gas to the intake'port, substantially as described.

6. In a rotary internal combustion engine,

a rotor constituting both the driving eleplurality of rotary valvular abutments cooperating with said rotor, and means 00- operating with one of said abutments for receiving the combustible mixture and forcibly ejecting the same into the explosion area, said means being adapted to supply a measured charge of fuel for each explosion irrespective of the amount of fuel received thereby, substantially as described. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set myhand.

WERNER I. STAAF. 

